1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a computer program, and an information storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been employed a technique in which the format of image data is mutually converted between a vector data format and a raster data format. For example, JP-A-2006-237858 (Patent Document 1) discloses an image processing method in which the format of image data is converted from the raster data format to the vector data format when embedded information is embedded in an image, and after it is embedded in vector data, the format of the image data is converted into the raster data format again.
Meanwhile, the raster data format or a bit-mapped data format sets a color value for each pixel. On the other hand, the vector data format is represented as a group of the parameters of an equation of coordinates at points, lines, and surfaces for connecting the coordinates to each other as well as imaging information such as filling and special effects. Therefore, it is desired to select a suitable format depending on the characteristics of an image, the processing method thereof, the specifications of an image processing apparatus, or the like.
For example, the time required for processing is different between a personal computer having a high-speed CPU and sufficient memory and an embedded device having a CPU and memory inferior in performance to those of the personal computer even if they attempt to display the same image. Therefore, if the device has low performance for processing image data, selecting a format requiring less time for displaying a picture image makes it possible to provide a suitable display for an operator.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2006-237858